Aircraft



March 31, w42. R. J. L. MOINEAU 23mm? AIRCRAFT Filed Sept. 7, 1938 2iSheets-Sheet l mAl-g'jj -L Ifglglnggf 7 9- W mw rw 'TW j 451'; L L I' 32m 'l y' 5 `12 2 4 6' Il '5 QZ Fem` Soseph Lou Moi neem;`

' l NYE Nvu@ March 3l, 1942. R. J. L. MolNEAU 2,278,147

l AIRCRAFT Filed sept. 7, 195s 2 shams-sheet 2 Ren J'oseph Louis vlneau.

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Patented Mer. 31,1942

AIRCRAFT l Ren Joseph Louis Moineau, Paris, France, as-

signorv to Societe `'dExploitation des Brevets Moineau S. A. It. L., Luxemburg, Luxemburg Application September 7, 1938, Serial No. 228,735

` In France September 20, 1937 2 claims. (ci. 244-242) It is known that a wing of an ornithopter or like flying machine, which beats after the manner of a bird engaged in a flapping flight is a lifting and a self-propelling wing, i. e., a wing in which the sum of theV aerodynamic resultants is'inclined forwardly and can therefore, according to its inclination and its size, either provide alone for the forward movement of the wing, or aid in this movement` in combination 1 with other-usual means of propulsion. It has already been proposed to make use of one or more unbalanced masses mounted on a. shaft extending longitudinally of the wing and set in rotation by suitable driving means; in this case no particular attention had `been paid to the form of the wings, but the different paths followed by the wing spars had been particularlyv considered.

l havenow found that the same results can be obtained with a wing to which is given a vi- Fig. 2 isa longitudinal section of the same, on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a wing comprising two vgroups of unbalanced rotary masses which y permit of imparting to the wing an oscillating movement of translation according to a direction normal to wing chord.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section of another wing comprising two groups of unbalanced rotary masses which permit of imparting tothe wing an oscillating movement about an axis situated along its span. y y

Figs. 5 and 6 are views analogous to Figs. l and 2, of a modified arrangement of the masses. Figs. 7 and 8 are analogous views of another f modification.

bratory movement of comparatively small amplii tude and high frequency, provided that the wing has a prole which is thick at the leading edge and decreases gradually in thickness from the leading edge to the trailing edge, propulsiva and lifting effects may be obtained.

The present invention has therefore for its object tov provide a vehicle movable in a fluid, comprising vone or more wings having a profile Vas'deflned above and to which may be given a' vibratory motion of comparatively small amplitude and high frequency and having a component normal to wing chord, in order to increase the lift of the wing and render same selfpropelling.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and eective means for imparting to the wing or wings of the vehicle such a vibratory motion.

These means may comprise unbalanced masses supported by the Wings and set in motion by an,

independent driving mechanism but preferably said'` unbalanced masses are constituted by parts of the driving mechanism itself, for instance by the pistons of internal combustion engines.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will beset forth in the following description.

'I'he invention lwill now be, more fully described with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which: y

Fig. 1 is a cross-section, on the line I-'I of Fig. 2, of a wing of a. vehicle in conformity with the invention showing the means for setting the wing in vibration.

Figs.9l and 10 arev diagrammatic perspective views of two aeroplanes embodying the invention and showing the attachment of the wings to the main body of the aeroplane.

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an aircraft in which the unbalanced masses are constituted by one-bladed air-screws.

Fig. 12fis a diagrammatic perspective view of a part of a wing on which are mounted unbalanced wind-mills. It is to be noted that although the invention is herein described with particular reference to aircraft wing systems, it is also applicable to Watercraft as such vibratory wings, when operating in water, afford also a propulsive action and might therefore be substituted for usual screw propellers.

Preferred means for setting the wings in vi bration will now be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8 of the drawings and it is to be `understood that these wings must be attached to the main body of the craft so as to be free to vibrate 'at least in a direction normal to wing chord.

Two embodiments of the attachment of the wings toA an aircraft main body will be described later with reference to Figs. 9 and 10.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thawing consists in the usual manner of back surfaces l and pressure surfaces 2, joined tol gether at the leading edge 3 and the trailing edge 4 and supported by a certain number of spars 5 and ribs 6. The profile of the Wing'is thick at the leading edge 3 and decreases in thickness from this leading'edge to the trailing edge 4 according to a slope of some degrees. In the interior of the wing there is` mounted .-a rotary shaft 1 extending inthe direction of the span of thawing for instance in parallel relation with the leading edge 3; The bearings `t of this'shaft are provided in the ribs s. To the shaft 1 are secured, by arms 9, heavy masses I0.

All of the arms 9 are situated in the same radial plane, and thus the masses I will rotate in synchronism about thegeometrical axis of the shaft. The said shaft may be rotated from the interior or the exterior of the wing, examples of which will be further indicated.

contrary direction and of an amplitude depending upon the ratio ofthe weights of these two portions and upon the external forces which such displacements produce (resistance of the air, for instance).

In the present case, the wing being supposed 'to be free in a space empty of air,`when the masses I0 rotate by the eifect of the driving scribed in my.U. S. patent specification No. 1,892,217.

In all of the above-mentioned embodiments,` the masses are situated within thev wing, but it' is evident that such masses, or a certain number of them, may be situated on the outside of the wing.

It is obvious that in order Athat the vwing may oscillate, it must be free to do this with vreference to the rest of the craft.

Figs. 9 and 10 are two diagrams showing the mounting of oscillating propulsive and lifting described.

mechanism acting upon the shaft, the entire wing will be given-a circular movement of transresult will be an aerodynamic resultant bothlifting -and propelling, particularly when the wing is moving forward in the air.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, two groups of equal masses l0 and Ill, mounted on respecr tive shafts 1 and 1, rotatein synchronism but in opposite directions, and in such manner that the masses i0 and 4Hit' shall be constantly symmetrical with reference to a vertical plane XX parallel to the axes 1 and 1 and equidistant from these axes. In this case, the oscillation ofthe Wing is vertical and rectilinear.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the two groups of masses i3 and il)a mounted on the respective shafts 1 and 1, rotate in the same direction and at the same speed, but with an angular displacement. In this case, the wing is no longer displaced so as to remain parallel to itself, as the diierence of phase between the The masses 1 0 and Il)a may consist of heavy bodies of any kind, and these may have other' uses at the same time; they may, for instance,

consist of engine parts.

'I'hus in the embodiment vshown in Figs. 5 and 6, the masses consist of the movable parts (piston l i, rods I2 and crankshaft 1) of engines whose cylinders i3 are secured within the wing, the

movable parts being maintained in synchronism by a common shaft. It should be observed that the synchronism might be obtained by any other a motor of the known type consisting of two helical membersorlgroups' of members I4 and I5, one of which. rotates within the other, in gear engagement, for instance of the nature de- In the embodiment shown in Fig. 9, each wing I6 is connected with the fuselage l1 by a balljoint I8 andl by elastic supports I9 and 20 which maintain it in-the position of mean lift and incidence.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 10, the single wing I6 is connected with the fuselage l1 by two leaf springs 2l. 1

Since the oscillations of the wing will only have'their Ifull emciency when the aircraft has attained a certain speed on its flight path, it is possible to provide known means for starting, not shown, and if necessary, these may also constitute eccentricV or unbalanced masses, for in-v stance in the form of unbalanced air-screwsf Figs. 1l and 12 illustrate further means for A setting the wings of an aeroplane in vibration.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 11, the aeroplane comprises, as in the case of Fig. 10, a

single wing I6 having an unsymmetrical profile (rounded in front and pointed in the rear, for g instance). The said wing is connected with the fuselage l1 by two leaf springs 2|,

'I'he propulsion and the hyperlifting effect of the wing are assured by the oscillations of this wing. Such 'oscillations are obtained by the rotation of front air-screws 31, 38 and rear airsorews 39, 40. Such air-screws are unsymmetrical (for instance with asingle blade). 'Ihey are keyed in pairs to shafts 4|, situated in the direction of the width of the wing, and are driven with a continuous rotation, and preferably in contrary directions (arrows .f1 and f2) according as they are situated on one side or the other of the vertical longitudinal plane of symmetry of the machine. They are driven for instance by pairs of helical gear wheels 42, the driving wheelof each pair being keyed to a shaftv43 situated along-the span of the wing. The shaft 43 is driven, by means of a gear set 44, by a shaft consisting of two keyed parts, one of which is slidable in the other, which are connected by a free wheel mechanism 46 with the engine 41 located in the fuselage I1.

'Ihe air-screwsfhave several functions. When driven by the engine 41, they provide for the propulsion of the aeroplane,in two different ways: by their direct action upon the the air after the manner of known air-propellers, and by the oscillations which they impart to the wing by-reason of their unsymmetrical form. Onthe other hand, such oscillations increase the lift of the wing. On the contrary, when the wings turn in autorotation, owing to the free wheel mechanism 48 and due to the action of the relative wind upon the Wings, as the wingmoves forward through the air by reason of its kinetic energy,

of its descent, etc., the air-screws will operate as wind mills, hence maintaining the oscillations of the Wing and thus tending to maintain its forward movement and to keep up its additional lifting power.

Fig, 12 represents a wing i containing a rotary shaft 1, resembling the shaft shown in Fig. 1 and carrying the eccentric masses i0. To each end of the shaft is keyed a wind mill 48, each of whose arms carries a vane 4,9 preferably consisting of two small plates which are adapted to oscillate by a suitable drive, not shown, in such way as to form a dihedral angle which is more or less open.

It will be observed that the wind mills, when the vanes are open, will turn in autorotation in the relative wind, and thus they will act like the air-screws 31 to 40 of the preceding embodiment,

embodiments herein described and'represented, which are given solely by way of example.

Having now-described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle movable in a fluid, the combination of a main body, wings connected to said main body so as to be free to vibratewith a component of movement normal to wing chord, said wings having a profile which is thick at the leading edge and decreases gradually in thickness from the leading edge to the trailing edge according to a slope of some degrees, and means for imparting to said Wings a vibratory motion of comparatively small amplitude and high frequency and having a component normal to wing chord, said means comprising a plurality of unbalanced air-screws distributed over the span of the wings and connected together so as to rotate in synchronism and arranged tfbe operated by the relative current of fluid when thevehicle is travelling.

2. An aircraft as claimed in claim 1, further comprising driving means carried by said main body, and a connection including a free wheel mechanism for driving said air-screws from said driving means.

REN JOSEPH LOUIS MOINAU. 

